Tuition Relief Programs Have Greatest Impact on First-Generation, Minority, and Low-Income Students
SANTA FE, NM – Financial aid programs that cover partial or complete tuition increase overall enrollment and have the biggest impact on Hispanic and Black students enrolling in colleges and universities across the nation, according to national research published in the Journal of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.
Of New Mexico college students enrolled for the Fall 2019 semester, 48 percent identified as Hispanic, 9.5 percent identified as Native American, and three percent identified as Black or African American. Almost 40 percent of students enrolled in New Mexico in Fall 2019 were over the age of 25, and 44 percent attended part-time.
“New Mexico was the first state to provide tuition-free college to its residents 25 years ago, and we must remain a leader in college access and affordability,” Acting Higher Education Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez said. “State and national leaders are reaffirming what we have always known: removing financial barriers for students leads to greater access and better outcomes, especially for the most in-need and historically underrepresented communities.”
The study looked at 33 colleges nationwide with tuition promise programs and found that overall enrollment increased by 22 percent on average, with enrollment among Hispanic and Black students increasing by 50 percent each. There are 360 tuition relief programs nationwide, including New Mexico’s Opportunity Scholarship and Lottery Scholarship programs.
“The continuation and expansion of the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship is sound public policy and recognizes that a postsecondary degree or credential is essential to obtaining a good paying job,” President of the Campaign for Free College Tuition Morley Winograd said. “State free college tuition programs, enacted across the country in two dozen blue, red, and purple states, are effective in increasing college enrollment, lowering dependence on student loan debt, and improving completion rates – particularly among students of color and lower-income students.”
According to research by the Lumina Foundation, 20 percent of Native Americans, 25 percent of Hispanics, and 37 percent of Black or African Americans in New Mexico have attained education beyond high school, or 47 percent overall.
“Education is an integral part of the success of our African American Community. It is vital for our students to have access to additional resources that will help them to navigate and achieve success in higher education,” Office of African American Affairs Director Amy Whitfield said. “In supporting Senate Bill 135, we are providing opportunities for growth in underrepresented communities, which will contribute to the mobilization of New Mexico as a whole.”
Since 2019, students attending the state’s four Tribal colleges have been eligible to receive the Lottery Scholarship. The New Mexico Higher Education Department collaborates with Tribal education leaders and communities statewide through its Indian Education Division to expand opportunities for Native American students.
“The New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship, Senate Bill 135, would help to ensure that as many New Mexicans as possible are able to pursue their educational goals,” said Indian Affairs Department Secretary Lynn Trujillo. “This legislation would allow working students and older adults to get back to school and complete their degrees. We’d like to thank Senator O’Neill and Representative Garratt for their leadership in sponsoring this important legislation.”
The New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship was created in 2020 to expand tuition-free college to students who do not qualify for the Lottery Scholarship, and to fill the tuition and fee gap experienced by some lottery-eligible students. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Higher Education Department are seeking to permanently establish and expand the Opportunity Scholarship with Senate Bill 135, the Opportunity Scholarship Act. The bill would provide $46 million to support up to 50,000 students, and expand the program to include part-time students, and those pursuing four-year as well as two-year degrees and certificates at any public or Tribal college or university in the state. S.B. 135 has been approved by the Senate Education Committee and will next be heard by the Senate Finance Committee.
As part of its response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Department has issued guidance to institutions to exercise broad discretion for students impacted by the pandemic. Students may document mitigating circumstances that the pandemic may have had on their eligibility for the Opportunity Scholarship, Lottery Scholarship, and other state financial aid programs.